Uppadam

Uppadam is an easy to make kootan/kozhambu , which will not take more than 10 minutes. This a very traditional recipe and and it is almost forgotten now. My amma used to prepare this. So I have acquired a taste for this. Any stir fried vegetable will go well with uppadam. Its almost an instant dish provided you have the basic curry powder in hand. This curry powder is the main ingredient for pulikuthi upperi (A kerala iyer speciality). In most homes, this powder is always kept handy. This curry powder takes only 3 ingredients

Curry powder

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Red chilly - 2 Nos
Methi seeds - 1/4 tspn

Wash and dry the rice. Dry roast the rice and chilly. When the rice starts turning little borwn, add methi seeds. Methi gets burnt easily. So add it at the last stage. When cool, powder it in a mixer. It need not be too fine. This is an all purpose curry powder. You can add this for any vegetable stir fry/kootu. This acts as a thickening agent too becoz of the rice in it.

Coming to the main recipe, you need

Tamarind - small lemon size
bhindi - 5 Nos
Salt to taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Green chilly - 3 nos

Cut the bhindi of 1/2inch size.
Soak the tamrind in warm water and extract the juice. Add 1/2 cup water to it. Take a vessel. Add the tamarind extract, turmeric and salt.

When it starts to boil, add the chopped bhindis to it. Slit the green chillies and add. Cover and cook.

When the bhindis are cooked, take 3 tblspoon of curry powder and mix in water without forming lumps. Stir into the tamrind gravy. Add more water if required. The gravy consistency should be something in between rasam and sambhar. Bring to boil.

Season with mustard and curry leaves.

Enjoy a simple meal with hot rice and any vegetable prepared as thoran.

Thai Velli Kolam#4

Last in the series of kolam for the month of Thai. By next friday, 'Maasi' (Kumbham) will start. On the occassions of festivals, I do draw kolams. But the number of kolams will be the minimum(1 or 2). During Thai masam, we see to that the whole front yard is filled with kolams, big or small.

Pista Badam Health Drink

This drink is very nutritious.

Ingredients:
Pista - 1/2 cup
Badam - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 1/4 cup
Cardamom - 10 pods
Saffron - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Dry grind all the above ingredients.
Mix a tablespoon of this powder with a cup of milk and microwave it for one and a half minutes.
Add sugar according to your taste.